Bacon Fried Bananas

I have many uses for bacon and its greases. I found this recipe and my stomach rumbled. This look so good and it will be very good with fried eggs and heavy buttered toasts. Got to go to store and pick some packs of bacon. Need to remind my wife to save the grease. She became a convert after tasted her oatmeal flavored with brown sugar and bacon grease. You should have seen her "drink" the oatmeal on one gulp and ask me if we have any more oatmeal....
One day, I asked nice lady who prepped all food for kitchen to save bacon fat for me. All I got is her "gross" stare at me but she did save fat for me after she is done with baking the bacon. Before my lunch break, I showed her what I did with bacon grease with oatmeal. Other "gross" stare with grimace on her face. She told me that it is bad for my health. hahahaha. I had eaten so many with bacon fat and I feel fine, very fine. I had offered her to taste my oatmeal. She hesitated to but do that anyway. Her face changed, surprised by the flavor. I told her that I had eaten this kind of oatmeal during my childhood years. Very delicious.

Bacon Fried Bananas
Recipe Source: Bacon Recipes

The next time you cook up some delicious bacon, try frying up some ripe banana in the bacon juice. The combination of sweet, salty and savory make this a definite keeper recipe.
Ingredients -

1 Pound Bacon
3 Ripe Bananas, sliced

1. Cook the bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned which takes about 10 minutes.

2. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate.

3. Reduce the heat to medium.

4. In the same saucepan place the bananas cut side down and cook for one minute.

5. Flip the bananas with a spatula and cook an additional minute.

6. Drain the banana slices on a paper towel-lined plate.

7. Serve warm with bacon.

Caribbean Jerk Sauce for Buffalo Wings

One day I found myself that I got so bored with hot red sauce for buffalo wings, I felt more adventuresome by looking for a good spicy sauce to toss with wings. I found one that I always love to try it out and it turned to be very spicy. I can use this sauce to ladle over pork chop--I always like jerk sauce with pork because the way it tasted good. Or nice sauce to toss with chicken and lettuce for jerk chicken wrap.

Last time I followed this recipe and used dried habanero peppers in place of cayenne pepper. It gave me big atomic bomb flavor but nice jerk sauce. I have to wash it down with heavy cream in my mouth. It took some time to make my tongue normal again.

Last of all, I think I have to give you an advice: this sauce is not for any weak hearts. If you dare, make sure that you put toilet paper in freezer for your next day paradise in bathroom. Remember I already went through and came out alive! And other than that, make sure you open the window and turn kitchen fan on--you can find out. My wife nearly kicked me out of my home for nice stinky odors that she can't breath.

CARIBBEAN JERK SAUCE
Makes 2 cups

3 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons minced green onion (white and light green parts only)
1 cup water
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons Frank's cayenne pepper sauce
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon rubbed sage

Melt margarine over a medium-low heat. Add minced green onions and cook 5 minutes. You just want to sweat the onions to soften them up. You're not looking to brown them.

Remove pan from heat, and whisk in remaining ingredients. Put pan back on the stove and bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes or until sauce darkens and thickens. Cover sauce, then cool and chill until needed.

Spicy Shrimp Salad with Smoked Chile Vinaigrette

I had been watched the Food Network for whatever reason I felt like to watch. When I found one interesting but hard to follow what a Chef composed of a recipe on TV show, I will go to the Food Network website and look for that or this recipe. I enjoyed to learn something new from Celebrity Chefs and hope to use this recipe for special occasional events someday.

Spicy Shrimp Salad with Smoked Chile Vinaigrette
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay, 2001
Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons ancho chili powder
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon chile de arbol powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
24 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces arugula, washed and dried
Smoked Chile Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a bowl, combine the ancho chili powder, light brown sugar, chile de arbol, cinnamon, and cumin, and set aside. In a medium size bowl, place the shrimp. Salt and pepper the shrimp aggressively. Then, sprinkle the shrimp with the spice mixture on both sides. Place the shrimp on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Roast for 4 to 5 minutes, or until just cooked through.

Place the arugula in a bowl, drizzle with some of the Smoked Chile Vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide the seasoned arugula among 4 plates. Place 6 shrimp around each plate. Drizzle with more of the vinaigrette and chopped cilantro.

Smoked Chile Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chipotle pepper puree in adobo
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine vinegar, chipotle and cilantro in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil until emulsified. Season with honey, salt, and pepper, to taste.

Steak and Roasted Red Pepper Salad

I found the recipe from my recipe software and thought I would share this with you. You can see what I am trying to fix or add little to this recipe, in italic words, for simplifying a way to make or grill. In my opinion, I like to marinate the steak flanks with my favorite marinade (Cumin-Lime Marinade) or simple teriyaki sauce before grilling to bring excellent flavors out of steak. This recipe didn't say so much about "special" preparation on meat, left me to decide whatever I want to do with steaks or just plain salt and black pepper.

Since the prices on beef steak flanks are pretty high, I might find other kind of steaks like Smoked Eye of Round Roast or Southwestern Grilled Sirloin to replace the flanks. Or what kind of steaks you like to cook, you can use it as long as you know it is delicious meat.

Steak And Roasted Red Pepper Salad

1 1/2 pounds beef flank steak
Salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
2 roasted red peppers -- see *Note
6 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/4 teaspoons dry mustard
2 cups chopped watercress
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
= (or chopped red tomatoes)

*Note: Roasted red peppers can be bought in specialty food shops or in the condiment aisle of your grocery store. Or blackened peppers over the stove top fire, transfer to a bowl and cover to let the steams to work through the peppers before peeling its skins.

Preheat broiler or grill. Place flank steak on broiler tray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil for about 5 minutes per side. Cool. Halve steak lengthwise. Slice across the grain of the meat into thin strips.

Cut roasted peppers into thin strips. Halve strips crosswise.

Blend oil, vinegars, garlic and dry mustard in a large bowl until well-mixed. Add steak strips, roasted pepper strips, watercress and onion; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Chill for at least two hours or up to eight hours. Mix in tomatoes and serve.

Source:"Low Carb Recipes at http://www.lowcarbluxury.com"

Happy July 4th!

In early morning, I took my peaceful moments outside while I smoked, pondering about my freedom that I want to do anything I like to do. When it come to the thoughts of where we are while we possessed the liberty to pursue our happiness, our freedom and our rights to blogging.

I always love the Fourth of July Celebration, enjoy the parade and have little family gathering for nice BBQ dinner. Since few days ago, I established the little informal menu for Today's dinner:

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich, my homemade pork shoulder cooked in crockpot longer until fork easily pull the meat off. Pulled the meat apart and toss with homemade BBQ Sauce. My favorite part of pulled pork sandwich is to top the heap of coleslaw on my pork and eat--I will make sure I have many napkins.
Marinated Vegetables--this is my wife's recipe, marinating the vegetable with honey, lemon and mint vinaigrette. That's her right to brag.
Ole' Plain Cole Slaw (Yawn...) the usual coleslaw thing unless my wife bring her weird idea up like mayo and mountain dew toss into shredded cabbage. She told me that everyone love her cole slaw.
Chips, you know.
Watermelon--Yummy with lime and cayenne dessert again, I am looking forward to that.
Maybe, Daiquiri--That's what my wife made request because she have the "thing" mixture in pantry and want to use it up. Yea, I did little grocery errands and grab good rum on way to home.

If more people come in, add:
Hot Dogs and Burgers
Whatever they bring in....

I hope I will have enough leftover for few days to get rid of them. Almost every year, I will have much leftover and have my relatives to take something for home to use them up. It doesn't matter to me so much, I always had so fun to encourage them to take the leftover home.

Then, I let my best friend cat, Ollie out. I watched him walked, sniffed and walked out of my small backyard. I wish I could had that kind of freedom that I can go out without second thoughts of warmth in home. So, I walked in and start to blog.